Have You Seen This? Southern Utah's Flippin' Birds join the Pac-12

CEDAR CITY — The Flippin' Birds just earned their biggest stage yet.

Southern Utah's gymnastics team announced Thursday it will officially join the Pac-12 beginning in 2027, marking a major milestone for a program that has quietly built itself into one of the nation's most consistent contenders.

For the past decade, Southern Utah has been a force in mid-major gymnastics. The Thunderbirds won the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference title in 2023 before adding back-to-back Mountain Pacific Sports Federation crowns in 2024 and 2025.

They've qualified for 13 straight NCAA regional championships, been in the top 25 multiple times, and built a home-meet atmosphere in Cedar City that rivals programs at much larger schools.

Now, they'll share the Pac-12 spotlight with some of the sport's biggest names, including perennial top-25 program Oregon State and in-state rival Utah State. Boise State also joins the four-team lineup, ensuring the league remains one of the premier stages in collegiate gymnastics.

"We've built something special here in Cedar City," head coach Scotty Bauman said.

Now, the rest of the country is about to see it, too.

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